Corpse lifting apparatus



June 11, 1940. A. B. KUBACH CORPSE LIFTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2, 1939-INVENTOR fioeusr 5. KUBHC/l BY Meamfwm ATTORNEYS v UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE oiaz oavsz coarse LIFTING APPARATUS T August B. Kubacm SouthMilwaukee, Wis. Application Februaryfi, 1939, Serial. No.T2 54,230M

e Figure 1.

9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in corpse lifting apparatus. T t

The object of my invention is to provideapparatus adapted forinstallation in the operating room of an undertakers establishment tofacili-. tate lifting corpses to the operating table; and removing themfrom such table for deposit in a casket. T T

More specifically, my object is to provide inexpensive equipment whichmay be quickly dissembled and reassembled, or adjusted to therequire=ments of any given liftingoperation, andwhich may be quickly cleansedafter each operation.

. In the drawing: 3 T T T Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section,showing my improved apparatus as it appears when installed in anundertakers operating room.

Figure. 2 is a view of one of the slings, taken at right angles toFigure 1, andshowing the lifting or evener bar in cross section, on line2--2 of Figure 3 is a sectional view drawn to line 3-3 of Figure 1. T Ty Figure 4 is a sectional view of one of thehead rests, drawn to line4-4 of Figure 1. T a T Figure 5 is a view of the head reststaken atright angles toFigure 1, and showing the supporting arch rod incrosssection. T TT Like parts are identified by the ,sameyreferencecharacters throughout the several-views.

A lifting bar having a central arch II]; is ,sup-, ported, by suitabletackle of ordinary type, from T a turntable or derrick arm I I-,swivelled to a holes 25 through which the latch pinmay extend supportsuch as a bolt I2 depending from an overhead beam I3, which may formpartofthe ceiling of the operating room; Any suitablelifting tackle may.be employed. Tackle blocks l5 :arid l6, and hoisting rope l1 may beused. Theilower tackle blocklfi has its hook l8 engagedih the eye piecesI9 of coupling clamps2lil, which embrace the centrallportion of thearch'ill, and are anchored thereto as indicated at 2| in Figure 3. Thelifting bar has horizontal end portions 22 Itis preferably tubular inform, and at one end has aninterior slide 23 normally secured to the barby a latch pin 24. The bar has a series of T to anchor the slide in anydesired position of adjustment. T j

The slide 23 is rigidly connected witha head rest supporting rod, havinga straight portion 28, T an arcuate portion 29, which curves downwardlyand inwardly, and a straight terminalportion 30, which extends inwardlywith a slightoownward inclination. e .1

An adjustable sleeve 32 is normally secured to the rod portion 30 byathumb screw 33 (Figure 5). This. sleeve .is provided with upwardly andlaterally curving wing arms 34, upon which cupshaped head rests 35arepivotally mounted on receive the hub of a removable lining bowl 40,which will preferably be composed of rubber or equivalent flexiblematerial, readily removable for cleansing purposes. T

Collars 42 loosely encircle the end portions 22 of the lifting bar orrod, and are secured in desired positions ofadjustment by latch pins 24,one of which is also used to anchor the head, rest slide 2 3,.and the.other of which may similarly.

anchor a telescoping extension rod 43. Each of the collars42 havedepending rings 45 which encircle a bow-shaped rod 46, having terminalhooks 41 from which a sling 48 may be suspended by rings 49. The slingsare formed of canvas, leather or equivalent flexible material adapted tobe passed under the corpse, after which the rings 49 are hooked to thehow 46, as shown in Figure 2.

Ordinarily the two slings directly connected with the lifting rod willbe respectively passed underneath the shoulders and hips .of the corpse.If it is desired'to also support the legs, another sling may besimilarly connected with the telescoping extension rod 43. The collars42 are adjustable along the portions 22 of the lifting rod andtheextension 43 when the latch pins 24 are,

removed, and thereforethe slings 48 may be readily positioned withreference to the length of the body. Also, the head rests may be quicklyadjusted by loosening the thumb nut 33 and moving the supporting sleeve32 along the straight porin connection with suitable tackle, and inwhich the slings can be quickly adjusted to substantially balance theweight and then secured in such a manner as to absolutely preclude anyshifting of the parts of the mechanism While the corpse is suspended. tt

Heretofore it has been customary to manually lift the corpse to theoperating. table, or when depositingit from the operating table into thecoflin, Quite frequently it is necessary to lift the corpse once ortwice from the coffin in order to add or remove packing material, orreadjust have heretofore been provided to Ienable'ithem to avoid theseheavy lifting operations, with the body of the operator in anunfavorable position for lifting heavy weights.

I attach great importance to the central arch ID of the lifting bar,since this tends to prevent the bar from sensitively tilting underslightly unbalanced loads. Also, the use of the latch pins 24 makes itimpossible for the sling supports to slide along the lifting rod, andinasmuch as the,

same latch pins are employed to secure the slide "23', telescoping rod"43, and the bows it, these parts are not only securely connected butmay be readily adjusted and secured with a minimum number of latch pins;

I also attach great importance to the simple construction of the headrests, whereby they may not only be readily adjusted, but whereby thelining members 40 may be quicklyremoved'and cleansed.

With my improved construction, the derrick arm ll may be swung to aposition with the lifting rod directly over a corpse in a basket or onany wheeled conveyance, the slings adjusted about the body, and the bodythen lifted by means of the tackle rope I! until it can be swung overthe operating table and deposited thereon. Similar operations in reverseorder can be performed when the body is to be deposited in the coffin.

I claim:

l. Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with suitablelifting tackle, of a lifting rod having an upwardly arched centralportion anchored to the lifting tackle, slings adjustably connected withits end portions and adapted to be longitudinally adjusted along thelifting rod to substantially balance the load with reference to thepoint of connection with the liftingtackle, and means for temporarilysecuring the slings to the rod in various positions of adjustment alongits end portions, said upwardly arched central portion being adapted tolimit tilting movements of the load when slightly unbalanced.

2; Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with suitablehoisting mechanism, a lifting rod having an upwardly arched central portion and aperturedend portions,-said central portion being operativelyconnected with the hoist slings adjustably connected with its endportions,

, and latch pins insertable in said apertures for temporarily anchoringtheslings in variouspositions along the end portions of the rod tosulficiently balance the load to allow it to besuspended in asubstantially horizontal position by the upwardly arched central portionof the rod when lifted by said hoist, said slings being provided withcollars mounted to slide on the lifting rod, and apertured to receivethe latch. pins.

.3. Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combination with anoverhead'support, of a derrick member swivelled to said support, liftingtackle connected with the derrick member, a corpse lifting rod centrallyarched and provided with c0upling devices to be engaged by the liftingtackle, corpse supporting slings suspended from the end portions of saidrod, and a head rest adjustably connected with saidrod, whereby thecorpse may be sufliciently balanced with reference to the "liftingtackle to allow. it to be lifted and held in a substantially horizontalposition by the centrally arched portion of the rod during lifting andduring transferring operations of the derrick member.

4. Corpse lifting apparatus, including the combinationwith'an'overheadsupport, of a derrick member swivelled to said support,lifting tackle connected with the derrick member at a point distant fromthe swivel connection with said support, a corpse lifting rod havingcoupling hook connection with the lifting tackle, means for limitingtilting movements of the rod with reference to the lifting tackle, bowssuspended from said rod and provided with sling engaging hooks, and

corpse, supporting slings engageable with the hooks.

tackle, a slide adjustably mounted in one end of the lifting rod andprovided with a hook-shaped extension, an adjustable head rest carriedby the extension, sling supports depending from the lifting rodandadjustable thereon, slings detachably engageable with said supports, andmeans for an choring said sling supports in various positions ofadjustment along the lifting rod.

6. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination of a lifting rodcentrally provided with coupling means for connection with suitabletackle,

a head rest supporting slide connected with one end of the lifting rod,a leg supporting slide connected to the other end thereof, bodysupporting slings connected with the lifting rod, and latching means fortemporarily securing the slings and slides in various positions ofadjustment along said rod. 7 c

'7. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination of a tubularslingsupporting rod provided with apertures to receive a latch pin, acorrespondingly'apertured collar adjustable along said rod, an aperturedslide adjustable within said rod, a head rest and sling, respectivelyconnected with the slide and collar; and a latch pin adapted to passthrough the rod, collar and slide to fixedly retain them in assembly.

8. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination of a lifting rodhaving'an arched central portion and straight end portions provided withspaced apertures, an apertured collar adjustable along the lifting rodfor registry of its apertures with those in the rod, a centrallyapertured sling supporting bow suspended from said collar, a flexiblesling having detachable hook connection with the ends of the bow, and alatch pin adapted to pass through the rod, collar and the'bow totemporarily connect them. 1

9. In a corpse lifting apparatus, the combination with a suitable hoistand a lifting rod provided with means for limiting its tilting movementupon its connection with the hoist, of a slide ad- 'justab-ly connectedwith one end of the lifting rod

